Playing the Australians on home soil seemed like another chance for England to finally regain the Ashes, but the summer of 2001 was another disappointing one for them. Australia emphasised their superiority yet again in almost all formats of the game.
The tone of much of what was to come was set in the first Test match, at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
Australia won the toss and bowled out England for 294. Shane Warne claimed 5-71. Mike Atherton scored 57 and Alec Stewart 65, but the total would have been even lower had it not been for an uneaten 49 from last man Andy Caddick.
Australia then laid down a marker, making 576. Opener Michael Slater scored 77 and Steve Waugh and Damien Martyn both made 105, before Adam Gilchrist put his season on the match. He scored 152 off just 143 balls, his innings containing five sixes and 20 fours.
When England batted again, Marcus Trescothick scored 76 and Mark Butcher 41, but the rest of their batting just collapsed. They were all out for 164, the last eight wickets falling for 22 runs.
Australia had won by an innings and 118 runs.
Lord’s has rarely been a happy hunting ground for England, and so it proved again in the second Test match.
Again they lost the toss and were put into bat. They made just 187 in their first innings. Glenn McGrath took 5-54.
Australia then took command by making 401, thanks to a century from Mark Waugh, an aggressive 90 from Gilchrist, and 52 from Martyn.
When England batted a second time round, Butcher made 83, but he lacked support, and England were all out for 227. Jason Gillespie was the star this time with 5-53, while McGrath claimed three more victims.
Australia needed just 14 to win. They lost two wickets to take a two-love lead in the series.